Hold quarterly team meetings to keep goals moving forward and communication flowing. Written for PROGRESSIVE DAIRY and originally published in the March 2022 issue. Are you sometimes left wondering if your employees understand the farm's priorities and goals? Do your employees ever feel they get conflicting messages and wonder, "What...
Category: Business Growth Strategy
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Onboarding
An overlooked tactic in lowering employee turnover Originally published at Dairyherd.com on 1/11/2022 here Onboarding: An Overlooked Tactic in Lowering Employee Turnover | Dairy Herd It takes a lot of work to find and hire great employees. Hiring employees often takes you away from your normal work. So once an...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
A Team Review
Let your team improve how the farm operates by hashing out what works - and what needs work. Originally published at https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/benefits-farm-debrief-0 on 1/11/22. Many farms want to scale up their operations, and they need people to do the work. Ideally, you want great teams of employees. Great teams can...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Easy Employee Reviews
How to keep your best employees engaged and happy. Originally published at www.farmprogress.com/commentary/easy-guide-employee-reviews on 11.19.2022. Have you had the frustration of being blindsided by a great employee leaving? They have been on board for a year or so, and it appeared everything was going great. They showed up on time,...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
The conversations families must have if they want to keep the farm together
When it comes to Transition Planning, communication is the foundation. This was the case with my friend Bob. He was so delighted when both his son and daughter decided to come back to the family farm. In addition, their spouses also chose to join the operation. For the first year,...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
Communication, the missing ingredient in Transition Planning
When it comes to Transition Planning, communication is the foundation. The transition plan had all but stopped, and unspoken issues were piling up. Both the employees and the next generation were frustrated. Everyone involved was frustrated, including the advisors and spouses. To be fair, this is a top-notch farm with...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Work-Life Balance is More than a Buzzword
A good work-life balance helps everyone thrive in their personal lives and on the farm. Work-life balance is the buzzword as of late, and for a good reason. It can be a struggle to make all employees happy. But your employees struggle too. Farming can be long hours, which means...
Business Growth Strategy, Farmer Network
Communication Tools to tame the whirlwind
Holding onto outdated communication tools might be holding you back. Communication is often the missing ingredient as farms try to grow. Okay. Maybe communication isn't completely missing. But in the recipe for success, the ingredient called "communication" is needed in a larger quantity and quality. For several years we have...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning
When to Let Go of an Employee
Knowing when to let go is crucial to maintaining a solid team Blake, a large dairy producer from the Midwest, was fit to be tied. Unfortunately, for the last four months, Dennis has not been the stellar employee he used to be. He was often late, never finished the job,...
Business Growth Strategy
Leadership training is the missing ingredient
Is the next generation ready to RUN and LEAD the farm? Donald's story - Donald had a plan. He worked with his attorney to draft an iron-clad estate plan for his dairy. He was happy to provide his children with a thriving business. He felt confident all was in place,...
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